Wonderland (1999 film)

Wonderland
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Michael Winterbottom
Written by	Laurence Coriat
Starring	Shirley Henderson Gina McKee Molly Parker Ian Hart Stuart Townsend John Simm
Music by	Michael Nyman
Cinematography	Sean Bobbitt
Edited by	Trevor Waite
Distributed by	USA Films
Release date	13 May 1999
Running time	108 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

Wonderland is a 1999 drama film about the lives of a London couple, their three adult daughters and absent son. Directed by Michael Winterbottom, the film stars Jack Shepherd, Kika Markham, Shirley Henderson, Gina McKee, Molly Parker, John Simm, and Stuart Townsend. The film was entered into the 1999 Cannes Film Festival.

The film follows the lives of three London sisters and their family over five days, a long Guy Fawkes Night weekend in November. Waitress Nadia (McKee), "shy, with a backpack and her hair in girlish twists", spends all her time going on blind dates with rubbish men from personal ads, while her hairdresser sister Debbie (Henderson) struggles to raise her 11-year-old son without much help from his irresponsible father (Hart). Meanwhile, Molly (Parker) is pregnant but her husband Eddie (Simm) has left his job without telling her.

Eileen (Markham) and Bill (Shepherd), their parents, are virtually estranged since the departure of their eldest son Darren (Enzo Cilenti), who they have not heard from since he left home; having left he is the only happy one in the family. Eileen takes her silent frustrations out on the neighbour's barking dog, poisoning it when it prevents her from sleeping.

Franklin (David Fahm) is an over-sensitive man who frequents the coffee house where Nadia works. He is unable to summon the courage to talk to her, instead listening to music he thinks she would like alone in his bedroom. Nadia sleeps with one of her dates, but is then rejected by him. Molly and Eddie (Simm) have a fight when she discovers he has left his job and he leaves. She goes into labour believing he has permanently left her, but he has really had an accident on his motorbike. After Debbie's son is mugged when his father leaves him alone, she resolves to keep them apart. Darren finally calls to let his family know that he is fine and Franklin has enough courage to talk to Nadia. Molly and Eddie are reunited at hospital after the birth of their daughter Alice, a name Eddie selected because of Alice in Wonderland.